Motivation: For yourself, your students, and others

I just received one of the best compliments.  Just when I thought things were not going well.  Two sentences in an email truly lifted my spirits! I am motivated now to try even harder to succeed, and delighted I have so far!

This brings to mind why I started my master's program.  I attended (for continuing education purposes for relicensure) a Ruth Dey workshop in June 2011.  The description of the course said it would help us motivate our students.  It turned out most of the workshop was spent motivating ourselves.&& During the class, a Friends U rep came and visited our class to talk about furthering our education with a masters. I talked to everyone about it, and was sure that it was not for me. Later,  Ruth gave each of us a mini book entitled, 50 Ways to Motivate Yourself, Your Students and Those Around You.  We then spent half a day going over each one of these!  What an eye opener!  My favorites (no, I will not share all 50--LOL) but  just a few.

#10 Use the right chemicals: Fun makes your chemicals in your body respond! Once you make the job fun, you solved the problem of self-motivation. 

#21  Feel good first.  Most people think they'll feel good once they reach some goal. The problem is linking yourself to a goal that might not happen. Your happiness shouldn't depend on achieving something. Start by claiming it and using it to make your journey fun and all the way and not just at the end.

#23 Just be unexpected.  Being creative has nothing to do with originality, but being "unexpected." The secret is coming up with "unexpected" ways of answering life's problems.

#45 Welcome your problems.  Problems are simply tough games for the athletes of the mind. Every problem has a solution.  
**I will add here what someone told me years ago:  God has an answer before we even know we have a problem.

How many of these do you think are just aimed at you?  your students? others?  Truth is, they are for everyone.  I hope you are motivated to motivate yourself, students and others.  The compliment I received, is a blend of how I have handled the four things I mentioned above.  

&&By the way, the more I tried not to think about working on a masters, the more motivated I became. By the end of July I was signed up!  I began the program in Oct 2011, and just graduated summa cum laude (4.0 GPA) on May 11, 2013.  What a journey.  Thanks to those who supported, and motivated me! 

I had a link on here earlier to her website, but she changed it. I took it off.  She sells juice and health stuff as well as being a motivational speaker. So, if you saw the link before, I'm not nuts, just surprised like you. Ha.